Activist Oliver Barker Vormawor was alarmed by reports in September that Ghana’s water agency would not be able to supply some parts of the country with water due to extreme contamination of main rivers from small-scale mining activities. In response, Vormawor and other concerned Ghanaians protested in the capital city, Accra, against President Nana Akufo-Addo’s perceived inaction to address the environmental crisis. However, they were met with arrests and imprisonment on charges of illegal assembly. Despite the change in leadership with the ousting of Akufo-Addo’s New Patriotic Party, activists like Vormawor remain skeptical of the new president, John Mahama, and his commitment to tackling the pollution of Ghana’s rivers and soil.
The widespread, incessant small-scale mining activity, known as “galamsey”, has been a longstanding issue in Ghana, exacerbated by the surge in gold prices globally. Small-scale miners use toxic chemicals like mercury and cyanide to extract gold ore, leading to the pollution of water bodies and farmlands. The practice has also encroached into protected forests and reserves, causing deforestation and environmental degradation.
Despite promises from President Mahama to address illegal mining and clean up polluted rivers, there is skepticism among activists about the government’s willingness to take decisive action. The proliferation of small-scale mining has attracted illegal operators, while the government has been accused of complicity and corruption in the issuing of mining licenses. The future of Ghana’s water sources and environment hangs in the balance as the country grapples with the devastating effects of illegal mining.